Desi Girl and the Host Club
by Serene Fairy
Summary: Rohini Sundaram is a 3rd-year, Indo-Japanese girl from Chennai, and is in Ouran on scholarship, and she transfers into the same class as Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. However, when she is doing poorly in Japanese, Mori is hired as a tutor for her. What will happen from this? Pairing: Mori/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So, I am of South Indian heritage, so I decided to make a story with the main character a South Indian girl. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 1- The School that is like a Palace**

I look up in amazement at the school that is Ouran Academy. The school looks so grand, it could easily be mistaken for a European palace! I take a deep breath and walk through the school campus, praying that no one is looking at my dark blue salwar kameez with gold patterns. Not only am I dressed in a grand salwar kameez, my long black hair is braided, and there are jasmine flowers in my hair. Not to mention, I'm wearing a red bindi on my forehead, and my grandmother's gold necklace. I can hear some whispers from the other students as I walk through the hallways. I sigh as I wonder why my dad must insist I dress up in traditional South Indian clothes, after he found that we couldn't afford the uniform.

"Who is that girl?"

"She looks like she's from India."

"Her dress is so pretty!"

"She has the traditional beauty of an Indian girl."

Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself! My name is Rohini Satomi Sundaram. I am a seventeen-year-old, Indo-Japanese 3rd-year high school student, and I am actually from Chennai, India. My mother's name is Asako Sundaram, formerly Asako Nakamura. My father, however, his name is Karthik Sundaram, and he is born and raised in Chennai. I mainly look like the usual South Indian girl, with brown doe eyes, brown skin, long black hair that can be braided, and even my Japanese has an Indian accent!

How did I come here? Well, I used to attend school in Chennai, but my teachers had encouraged me to sign up for a scholarship to Ouran Academy in Tokyo, Japan, since the school has an excellent academics program. It has always been a dream of mine to become a computer software engineer, and because of the school's academic program, I was encouraged. So, I passed the scholarship exam, and now, I am a scholarship student at the most prestigious private academy in Japan, and I am in Class 3-A, the class meant for the richest, brightest students.

Once I reach my classroom, I sit down in an empty desk next to two girls. One girl has long black hair in two pigtails, and the other has long brown hair with a green headband in it. Both girls are in the middle of a conversation, so I silently take out my Japanese dictionary to help me perfect my Japanese speaking skills. Right then, the chime sounds, and the teacher comes in. "Class, we have a new student here today. She has moved from Chennai, in India, and is attending on a scholarship. Please welcome Sundaram Rohini," the teacher gestures to me.

I stand up shyly as the class applaudes. As I sit back down, the two girls next to me smile politely. "Welcome to Ouran, Sundaram-san," the black-haired girl greets. I smile.

"A-Arigato," I say hesitantly, hoping that my Japanese can be understandable. "Excuse me for my poor Japanese, but, you may just call me Rohini. What are your names?" I ask.

"My name is Mikamo Marika, but you can just call me Marika," the black-haired girl introduces.

"And I'm Munakata Ayumi, but you can just call me Ayumi," her friend adds.

"Dozo yoroshiku, Ayumi and Marika," I greet.

The morning classes go okay for me. English is easy, and World History comes easy to me as well. Calculus, Algebra, and Trigonometry are my best subjects in Math. However, my most challenging subject is Japanese. Before I had moved to Japan, I had taken Japanese classes, even watched movies and anime in Japanese. The speaking part, I have it pretty well managed. However, it's the kanji, hiragana, and katakana that are really challenging. Nevertheless, I try my best when speaking Japanese.

"I really like your name," Ayumi tells me at lunch. "It's really pretty! What does it mean?"

"Rohini means 'woman' in Hindi, but it's a popular South Indian name," I say. "Your names are very pretty as well."

"So, what was your flight like?" Marika asks.

I sigh. "Oh, it was a long flight. We flew on Air India from Chennai to New Delhi at 10:45 am. The flight was two hours and forty-five minutes long, and we landed at New Delhi Airport at 1:30 pm. We then had a seven hour and forty minute long layover in New Delhi, and at 9:10 pm, we flew on Air India from New Delhi to Tokyo. That flight was eight hours and five minutes long, and we landed in Tokyo Narita Airport at 8:45 am."

They both stare in surprise. "Wow, that must've been exhausting!" Ayumi says.

"Yeah. The flight wasn't too bad, since there were movies to keep me occupied for eight hours, and I did my best to practice Japanese, but still, it was very tiring. We were in economy class, since we're not extremely wealthy, but it was fine," I say.

"Rohini, your Japanese sounds very pretty," Marika compliments.

I raise an eyebrow in confusion. "How? Is it because of my Indian accent?"

"Yeah, actually. Speaking of India, is your outfit from India?" Ayumi asks.

I nod. "Yes. This is called a salwar kameez, and it's a very popular fashion among girls. I have a lot of different types of salwars, kurthas, and I even have a sari," I say.

I continue to talk with Marika and Ayumi at lunch, and I tell them different facts about India and Chennai, and they tell me facts about Japan and some cultural facts about Japanese culture. I might just like it here at Ouran Academy. These two girls are very friendly and polite, and they are even offering to help me out with perfecting my verbal Japanese skills.

After school, I take the bus to our apartment, which happens to be in a neighbourhood with a pretty big Indian community, who speak Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali, Punjabi, etc. My dad runs a small Indian restaurant called _Taste of India_, which is very popular. My mom works as an architect, so our lifestyle is fairly good. Our apartment is a nice place to live in, our neighbours are friendly, and overall, life is good.

"Hey Rohini," Suchitra, my older sister, greets me in Tamil. When I'm with my family, I speak Tamil, and Hindi amongst some of the Indian community. "How was school?"

"It was pretty good," I reply. "Where's Mom and Dad?"

"They're both still at work."

Suchitra Sundaram is my older sister of twenty-two years, and she is teaching ESL to students at a Japanese public high school. She has lived in Japan for a while to teach ESL classes to a Japanese public high school, and she is now dating a Japanese man named Hiro Suzuki, who is actually Japanese-Canadian, and he is also teaching ESL.

"So, did you make any friends?" she asks.

"Yeah, sort of. The classes are okay, but I'm really having difficulty with Japanese. Speaking Japanese has come easy to me, but it's the writing that I'm struggling with," I explain.

"I had the same problem, but I had a tutor help me out, and I gradually got better," Suchitra tells me. She chuckles at my outfit. "Dad forced you to dress like a South Indian girl?"

I nod, laughing slightly. "Yeah. He wants me to embrace my Indian heritage, and not be ashamed of wearing salwars and kurthas. I'm not ashamed, it's just… I didn't want to have jasmine flowers in my hair and all that!"

She laughs. "Don't worry. Pretty soon, you'll want to be wearing kimonos and yukatas and all that!" she teases.

I really love Suchitra. She's an awesome older sister, and she really gives great advice about etiquette and manners in Japan. I change out of my Indian clothes into a comfortable red blouse and a pair of black capris. I take out my notebook and a Japanese dictionary and I attempt to practice writing kanji and hiragana and katakana, but I eventually get tired. Instead, I just start practicing Bharatanatyam to help me calm down.

"So, Rohini, how's your first day?" Dad asks at dinner .

"It's going good," I reply. "Japanese is hard, but the maths are very easy."

Mom smiles. "It's good that you find math easy," she praises. "You will definitely be a great computer software engineer." Her Tamil has a Japanese accent to it.

"Have any boys been noticing you?" Dad asks. I give him a 'really?' look. His primary concern is always whether his daughter is being noticed by boys!

"No, Dad!" I protest. "Why are you always asking if there is a boy interested in me?"

"It's okay if a boy likes you, but you must not let him take over your life and distract you, okay?" he advises me. "If you bring a boy home to meet us, we'll be fine, but don't let boys be your main priority."

I nod. "Yes, Dad."

"And one more thing: you should embrace your Japanese heritage as well," Mom tells me.

I smile. "Okay."

While my parents can be kind of strict sometimes, I know that they really love me, and they want the best for me, so I try my hardest in school and put a lot of effort into studying. They'll always support me, and they are never too judgemental. They want me to pursue my own dreams, rather than forcing me into becoming a doctor or engineer, which is great. I will make the best use of my Ouran scholarship, and achieve my goals.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update. My finals have just started, so I've been studying a lot. There are some Hindi phrases in here, so I'll provide a translation at the bottom. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 2- In Need of a Tutor!**

I look in shock at the score on my Japanese test. 46%! That's terrible! I look through the sheet, and see that I have seriously messed up on my kanji, hiragana, and katakana. I sigh sadly. I've only been here a few days, and I've actually done terrible on a test! I really need to get a tutor to help me out. I decide to ask my teacher if I can get some extra help.

After class, when the students leave for lunch, I approach Yamazaki-sensei, my Japanese teacher. "Excuse me, Yamazaki-sensei?" I ask. She looks up with a friendly smile.

"Yes, Rohini-san?"

"I'm really struggling with Japanese, mainly the reading and writing. I was wondering if I could get some extra help, like, after school, maybe?" I ask.

"Of course. I'll have one of our students tutor you. Hold on." She looks at one of the few remaining students in the class. "Excuse me, Morinozuka-san? Can you come up here for a minute?" she asks.

A tall Japanese teenage boy wearing the Ouran uniform approaches the front. The boy is quite good-looking, with spiky black hair, dark gray eyes, and a slightly tan skin tone. "Yes, Sensei?" he asks in a deep voice.

"Rohini-san, this is Morinozuka Takashi," she introduces. "Morinozuka-san, this is Sundaram Rohini. She is struggling in Japanese and it would be great if you could give her some extra help."

He nods. "Yes Sensei."

Yamazaki-sensei smiles at me. "Morinozuka-san is very good at Japanese, so he'll be a great tutor. See you around!" she says, getting up.

The tall boy, Morinozuka-san, turns to me. "So, I'll meet you at the library in a few minutes," he says. "Mitsukuni, come on."

A childish-looking boy with honey-blond hair and mocha-brown eyes hops up from his chair. "Okay, Takashi! Let's go get lunch!" he says cheerfully. "Rohi-chan, you can come too!"

_Rohi-chan? _I think. Wait, how old is that kid? He looks too young to be in this class!

I arrive at the library for tutoring and sit at a table. While waiting for Morinozuka-san to come, I take out a book and start reading. A while later, I see him arrive. I put my book away and pull out my notebook. "Hello, Morinozuka-san." I greet. He gives me a polite nod as he sits down.

"So, I need help with the kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Before I moved here, I have taken a few Japanese classes and watched a few movies and anime shows in Japanese. I'm able to speak Japanese pretty well, but for some reason, the scripts are very difficult," I explain. "I can't really read them, and I tend to get them mixed up."

He nods. Right then, he says something that surprises me. "Kyaa aap hindi mein baat kar sakte hain?" he asks in very fluent Hindi.

I nod. "Haan, bas thoda sa." I reply in Hindi. He smiles at my surprised expression.

"Main ek mahine se Hindi seekh raha hoon," he replies.

I smile a bit. "Meri Jaapani kuchh khaas nahi hai. Mujey Jaapani ka aur abhyaas karnaa hogaa." I say.

"Ah." He takes a piece of paper and starts writing. "So," he begins, switching back to Japanese. "Kanji is the Chinese character imported from China, but it has improved, so that it can be written briefly. It has two kinds of readings: 'On-yomi' and 'Kun-yomi'. On-yomi is Chinese pronunciation. Kun-yomi is the original pronunciation of Japan. Kanji represent forms of something or a situation, and each of them have a meaning. Here's a chart to help you out."

Once he finishes writing the chart, he looks back at me. "Hiragana and katakana are phonetic symbols that don't represent any meaning. Hiragana is mainly used to represent Japanese words, while katakana represents foreign words." He explains. "Here's a guide to help you out." He hands me a sheet of paper with a few notes and a chart that compares between On-yomi pronunciation and Kun-yomi pronunciation.

"Thank you," I thank. He smiles.

"No problem." He gets up. "Class is going to start soon. We should go back."

"What? You failed a test already?!" Dad exclaims, more shocked than mad. I nod.

"It's in my Japanese class, but I asked the teacher for help, so I have a tutor who is helping me out," I explain. "He's a Japanese boy, but he's able to speak Hindi very fluently."

Dad looks up. "A boy? Who is he?"

I sigh. Of course, the only word that registers in my dad's head is 'boy'. "His name is Morinozuka Takashi, and he's in the same class as me."

"How old is he?"

"Seventeen, maybe?" I reply.

Dad nods. "Well, it's good that you're getting help with Japanese," he replies. "So, are you planning on joining any clubs here?"

I shrug. "I don't know yet. Their clubs are divided into two sectors: the sports sector and the cultural sector. Ouran Academy has clubs like the Newspaper Club, the Gardening Club, American Football Club, Judo, Kendo, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling, there's even a Black Magic Club!" I exclaim.

"Black Magic?" Mom asks in surprise. I nod.

"I really hope it's nothing too serious," I reply. "I really hope so. I wish there was a Computer Club, though."

"You could start one up," Suchitra suggests.

"I guess, but I might have to talk to someone about that, probably a teacher, since a lot of the clubs have teachers to supervise the activities," I reply.

That night, as I'm practicing Bharatanatyam, I think about the boy I met today. Morinozuka Takashi. I've seen him in class a few times, and he's very silent most of the time. Only when the teacher calls him does he speak, but even then, he only gives one word answers. And that childlike boy who's always hanging around him… who is he. I really hope he's not his… wait, where am I getting such ideas! If he's from a prestigious family, he wouldn't get a girl pregnant at such a young age! If that kid is his brother, then why is he in the high school third year class?

_Rohini, you're overthinking things. Calm down, and you can try and get answers tomorrow. _I think. I should ask either Marika or Ayumi to tell me.

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**Kyaa aap Hindi mein baat kar sakte hain?- **Do you speak Hindi?

**Haan, bas thoda sa- **Yes, just a little.

**Main ek mahine se Hindi seekh raha hoon- **I've been learning Hindi for one month.

**Meri Jaapani kuchh khaas nahi hai- **My Japanese is bad.

**Mujey Jaapani ka aur abhyaas karnaa hogaa- **I need to practice my Japanese


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the third chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 3- An Unusual Club**

"Rohini?" I look up and see Marika and Ayumi in front of the table that I'm sitting at in the library.

"What is it?" I ask. They smile at each other.

"We want you to come with us to the Host Club!" Marika tells me.

"The… Host Club?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"Just come and see!" Ayumi tells me.

"I don't know. I mean, I have to help out my dad tonight, and-" they give me the puppy-dog eyes.

"Please?" Marika begs. I sigh. Out of all the weaknesses in the world, I have to have a weakness for that! I smile at them.

"Okay, you can show me." They both cheer excitedly, causing me to look at them in confusion. What kind of club could ever get two girls so excited? If a club can get these two girls so excited, then it must be a rather fun club.

They take me down the hallways to a door with a sign above reading 'Music Room #3', and I see a lot of girls in the yellow dresses standing outside. I raise an eyebrow. _What kind of club is this? Are they all members or something? What's going on? _Right then, the doors open, and the sweet fragrance of roses fills my nose as rose petals fly out.

"Irrashaimase." A chorus of male voices greets. Right then, a group of six boys come into view, all dressed in the male uniform of Ouran Academy. The boy in the front has golden-blond hair, bright violet eyes, and a charming smile on his face. Two boys stand on either side, both with auburn hair and amber eyes. There is a boy with raven-black hair, dark gray eyes, and thin-rimmed glasses. Finally, there is a feminine-looking boy with short brown hair and large brown eyes. Much to my surprise, I see Morinozuka-san and the childlike boy among them. _Morinozuka-san? Wait, what's he doing here?_

Right then, I see the girls all seat themselves at various tables with these boys, and I'm pulled over to a fancy sofa where the childlike boy and Morinozuka-san sit. "Honey-kun! Mori-kun! I brought you a cake today! I hope you like it!" Marika says eagerly. The boy, apparently known as Honey-kun, brightens up.

"Cake? What kind?" he asks eagerly. Marika opens up the silver tin, and I see three tiny cakes with fancy decorations on them.

"There's chocolate, lemon, and strawberry cake! And it's all for you!" she says. The boy's eyes sparkle, and I swear, I can almost see tiny pink flowers around him.

"Ohhh, thank you so much! You're the best!" he says, hugging a pink plush bunny to him.

"Kyaaaa! Kawaii!" they squeal. I raise an eyebrow.

"Excuse me, but what's happening?" I ask. They all turn to me.

"Oh, Rohi-chan, I didn't see you there!" the boy exclaims. I smile kindly.

"May I know your name?" I ask.

"I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but everyone just calls me Honey!" he says. I nod slowly.

"What year are you in?"

"I'm in my 3rd-year of high school!"

I widen my eyes in shock. "Wait, what? You… You look like a child! That's… That's…" I trail off, too surprised.

Ayumi giggles. "That's just how he looks," she explains. "He's seventeen years old, and he's very bright."

As both Ayumi and Marika giggle and squeal over both Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san, I look around. I see three girls with the blond-haired boy, two girls with the raven-haired boy with glasses, two girls with the twin boys, and three girls with the feminine-looking boy. All girls are either dreamy-eyed, swooning, or squealing.

_What kind of club is this? Why are all girls so excited and squealing so much? What the heck is going on?! _I suddenly happen to make eye contact with the twin boys. Much to my dismay, they grin deviously. I try and hide my face behind my long black hair, to no avail.

I'm suddenly pulled out of my chair by the twin boys. "Seems like we have a new customer, hm, Kaoru?" one of them asks.

"Yeah, and she looks very different, very exotic. Don't you agree, Hikaru?" the other one agrees.

"Such lovely, long hair, and very pretty eyes," they both say, running their hands through my hair. I feel violated and like my privacy is invaded. Having enough, I pull myself out of their grip.

"Can you please stop that?" I ask, touching my hair. "It's invading my personal space." But by now, we've got the attention of everyone in the room.

"Oh, we never even saw you!" the blond-boy exclaims. "Forgive us! My name is Suoh Tamaki of Class 2-A, but you may call me Tamaki. Will you be so kind to tell us your name, princess?"

_Princess? _I think in confusion. "My name is Rohini Sundaram, but you can just call me Rohini." I introduce.

"She's the new honour student from India," the boy with glasses replies. "Rohini Satomi Sundaram of Class 3-A. A citizen of India, but now a Non-Resident Indian, or NRI. She is the daughter of Asako and Karthik Sundaram, so she is Indo-Japanese. She lived in Chennai, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, but moved here because she has a scholarship in Ouran Academy."

I stare in surprise at him. "Who are you, and how do you know all that?"

"His name is Ootori Kyoya, also of Class 2-A. It's his duty to read about the new students in the school," the blond boy, now known as Tamaki, explains.

"Ehh? You're from India?" one girl asks me. I nod.

"So, do you speak Hindi or something?" the twin boys ask.

"I know some Hindi. However, I'm mainly fluent in Tamil," I reply. "I'm kind of having a hard time with Japanese, though." I look at the boys. "What are your names?"

"Well, Rohini-senpai, we're Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru," they say at the same time. They start examining my outfit: a black anarkali kurta with a red dupatta and a black churidar.

"Your outfit's rather cute, but what is it supposed to be?" one of them asks.

"It's called an anarkali kurta, and it's a popular girls' fashion in India," I explain.

"Are Indian clothes the only thing in your wardrobe?" the other twin asks.

"No, I have plenty of western clothes in my wardrobe, but I just like to wear these occasionally."

"It's true! I've seen Rohi-chan come to school wearing cute blouses and pants, not just these pretty clothes!" Haninozuka-san agrees.

"Wait, my main question is: what kind of club is this?" I ask.

"The Host Club is where we, a group of super wealthy and handsome boys with too much time on our hands, entertain these beautiful and super wealthy girls, who also have too much time on their hands," Tamaki explains. "It's a playground for the super wealthy and rich."

I stare in surprise. How can such a club exist?! In India, I've seen people on the streets, missing limbs, and who can't afford to eat, and this is what rich people do in their free time?! Well, I shouldn't be so surprised, since I have seen and heard my fair share of corrupt politicians and rich people who get away with practically everything! Still, it shocks me that this kind of club exists! However, I think I should've reacted better, because I just shake my head in shame and run out of the room, too shocked and repulsed by the idea of such a club existing. I ignore Marika and Ayumi calling my name as I hastily run down the hallways and outside.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Suchitra asks when I arrive at the restaurant to help out.

"I have just encountered a club, in which rich boys entertain and flirt with rich girls for fun, since they all have too much time on their hands." She looks at me in shock.

"Seriously?!" she asks. I nod.

"Yeah. It shocked me that such a club exists, especially since we've all seen our fair share of corruption among the wealthy in India," I reply.

"Mm-hmm. Now, why don't you take your mind off that, and help serve food to the customers," she suggests. "I'll let Dad know that you're here."

So, I help out by serving customers their food, being as friendly as I can, smiling pleasantly and being very polite. However, what I'll never understand is why Japanese people want their pictures with me. Suchitra tells me that when she had first come to Japan, people were taking pictures of her, and also getting pictures with her. She told me that it's because dark-skinned people are rare, so they think it's fascinating. I can't help but think about the kids in Ouran, and how fascinated they seemed when they found out that I'm from India.

As the stream of customers slow down, and closing time nears, I help wipe down the tables and clean up any plates and glasses from the tables. For some reason, I still can't wrap my head around the idea of a Host Club, and I can't even let go of the slight shame and anger that I'm feeling. I shake my head, trying to let go of it.

I can't control others and what kind of clubs they have, but I can change my attitude about the whole thing, and try and loosen up. _It's no use to get angry at those boys. Just let go of them and their club._

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**This chapter is kind of inspired by my trip to China and Hong Kong over the Easter Break this year through EF Tours. When I went there, a lot of Chinese people wanted pictures with us, and were even taking pictures of us, especially me, because I have darker skin. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter!**

**This how I imagine Rohini to look like. Just copy and paste this, or go to my profile and check out the picture I found.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, there are a few Indian foods mentioned in here. I really recommend you try some of them, especially Mysore pak! It's the best ever! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 4- Secret Passion Revealed**

"Rohini, why'd you do that?" Ayumi asks me the next day.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Run out on the Host Club like that," Marika says. I sigh.

"I shouldn't have reacted that way, but it's just… I was a bit shocked by the idea of the Host Club. You see, when I lived in India, I saw so much poverty, and I've seen my fair share of corrupt politicians and wealthy people taking advantage of their status to get away with almost anything. So, when I heard what the Host Club is about, I just got upset," I explain. "I'm sorry."

"We understand," Ayumi replies. "It's okay."

As I listen to my World History teacher talking about the Russian Revolution, I think about yesterday. I should go and apologize to them for suddenly running out on them like that. It would make sense, and it would be polite as well. After school, I make my way to the third music room and open the doors. To my surprise, the room has various tropical plants and flowers, and I see five of the six boys in the attire of the royalty of Bali. _This club just got stranger and stranger. _I think as I walk inside. I walk up to Tamaki, who is talking with a girl.

"Excuse me, Tamaki-san?" He looks up at me. I bow down in apology.

"I apologize for what happened yesterday. I should've reacted better than to just run out like that." I apologize, bowing down. "It was out of line, and I'm very sorry."

Tamaki smiles in a friendly manner. "No problem, Rohini-senpai," he replies.

"Yay, Rohi-chan!" I'm suddenly grabbed by my arms and spun around by Haninozuka-san.

"Whoa, slow down!" I say, slightly flustered.

"Rohi-chan, can you eat cake with me?" he asks, giving me such a cute smile that I can't just say no.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel like having cake," I reply.

"That's okay, you don't have to have cake if you don't want to! You can just talk with Takashi and me!" he pulls me over to where they are sitting. I give a friendly smile to Morinozuka-san.

"Hello Morinozuka-san," I greet. He just nods politely.

I turn to Ayumi. "He's so silent."

She nods. "He's usually like that, but I find it so hot!" she squeals.

"Ne, Rohi-chan, what do you like to do in your spare time?" Haninozuka-san asks me.

"I like to cook," I reply. "I especially love to make Indian food. I also like to do Bharatanatyam, and go bicycle riding."

Right then, I hear a large amount of squealing and I look up. To my shock, I see one of the twins, I'm assuming Hikaru, pull the other twin in a close embrace too intimate for brothers!

"Oh, my cute baby brother, do you know how amazing you look in those clothes?" He asks.

"H-Hikaru…" Kaoru blushes. "Not in public."

"Kyaaaa! Brotherly Love!" the girls squeal.

I stare in shock at the scene. All my disbelief has just been thrown out the window. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against homosexuality, but this is incest! And incest is wrong! "What the…" I trail off.

"You okay?" I look up and see Tamaki smiling in a friendly manner.

"Why are those twins doing that?" I ask. "That's incest!"

"That's why the girls like it," he explains. "It's just an act, but they are very popular because of it. You see, Rohini-senpai, everyone in the club has a special act that they use to entertain girls. The twins are known as the Little Devil Type, Honey-senpai is the Loli-Shota Type, Mori-senpai is the Wild Type, Kyoya is the Cool Type, Haruhi is the Natural Type, and I am the Princely Type."

"Okay…" I laugh nervously. "I'm sorry, it looks like I still need to get used to Japanese pop culture and all that."

Tamaki chuckles. "Well, I have to get back to my customers. Enjoy yourself," he says, walking off.

I take a sip of the Darjeeling tea, trying not to grimace at the strong, bitterness of the tea, listening to the girls squeal and giggle at Haninozuka-san. I look at my watch to check the time, and realize that I have to go to the restaurant to help out tonight! I get up, gather my belongings, and head towards the doors.

"Eh? Rohi-chan? You're leaving?" Haninozuka-san asks. I nod.

"I have to help my dad manage the restaurant tonight," I say.

"Ooh, what kind of restaurant?" the twins ask.

"It's a small Indian restaurant in our neighbourhood. And no, I'm not telling you where it is," I say. They both pout.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I say, bowing politely. "Have a good night."

I see Suchitra waiting outside in the school parking lot in her Toyota Corolla. "Hey." She smiles at me. "How was your day?" she asks.

"Good," I reply. "How busy is the restaurant tonight?"

"It's quite busy actually," she says as we drive to the restaurant. "How much homework do you have tonight?"

"Quite a bit," I reply. "I'm glad that Indian school prepared me for this." I joke. Suchitra laughs.

"Yeah, that's true," she replies. "Dad wants you to help out in the kitchen tonight. He thinks that you make the best Indian food, and people should try it."

"Oh come on," I say. "I'm only good at making dosas and sweets." Suchitra gives me a disbelieving look.

"You're a great cook, and you should open up your own restaurant. Not just Indian food, it's also a lot of different types of food," she replies. "You say you want to become a computer software engineer, but I think you should open up your own restaurant."

I sigh. Suchitra is right, unfortunately. I love cooking, especially Indian food, and I really want to open up my own line of fine Indian restaurants around the world, and even my grandmother encourages me, but I chose computer science because I wanted to please my parents. In reality, I really do want to be the owner of a line of fine Indian restaurants, but I forced myself to hide my dreams, just so I can make my parents proud of me.

We arrive at the restaurant and I make my way to the kitchen. "Ah, Rohini! This table wants some samosas and aloo tikki. You know what to do," Dad tells me, patting my shoulder as he walks out.

I start to make the samosas while Suchitra helps out with the aloo tikki. As we cook, I move my hips along to the catchy Bollywood songs playing in the restaurant. We have a TV in our restaurant that plays the hit Bollywood songs, to entertain our customers.

"Arrey, what is Bollywood coming to these days?" one of my Indian friends, a university student named Neha Kapoor, asks. "Nowadays, you just get these girls in nothing but cholis and skirts, grinding their hips, as well as these guys with no shirts on half the time!"

"Oh, you're the one to talk, Neha," I tease. "We watched _Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela_, remember? You were all over Ranveer Singh's body, almost fainting whenever he was shirtless, and staring at his dance moves!"

"In all honesty, I don't mind it," another girl, a Punjabi girl named Simran Chopra, comments. "I think there is a line between risque and trashy, and some of the Bollywood are tastefully sultry, not trashy like others."

"Oi, Rohini!" Suchitra calls. "There are two guys at the counter, who've ordered a box of Mysore pak to go."

"Okay, I'm getting started on them." I say.

Once I finish making the Mysore pak and putting them in a box, I head out of the kitchen. "Here are your-" my words stop. In front of the counter are Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san! "Huh? What are you doing here?" I ask in surprise.

"Rohi-chan! Kyo-chan told us the name of your restaurant, and we wanted to check it out, since we heard that it has good reviews about the food! I really want to try out some Indian sweets, since I love sweets!" Haninozuka-san tells me. I smile and hand the box.

"Here's your Mysore pak. I made it myself. It's a very delicious sweet from South India, specifically from Karnataka. Legend has it that Mysore pak was first created in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace by a cook named Kakasura Madappa out of clarified butter, known as ghee, sugar, and gram flour. The royal family loved the sweet so much that it became a Royal Sweet, and the king got the cook to set up a shop to make the sweet available for the common people," I explain.

"Thank you!" the childlike boy thanks me eagerly.

"Mitsukuni, be careful not to eat too much," the older boy warns him. He turns and gives me a polite smile. "Have a good night, Rohini."

I'm taken aback for a few moments, before smiling in return. "Good night, Morinozuka-san."

After we close the restaurant, we go home and eat a dinner of rice and teriyaki chicken, cooked by Mom. As I eat my dinner, I wonder why Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san had shown up at the restaurant today. I mean, they could've found a wealthier Indian restaurant, right?

Shrugging off the event, I finish eating my dinner, and get started on my homework. They're probably just curious as to what Indian sweets taste like, right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Enjoy Chapter 5!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 5-The Chef/Waitress of the Host Club!**

I'm walking down the hallways, when I suddenly feel a blindfold being tied around my eyes! I'm suddenly pulled away from where I am going, and thrown into a room. "W-What the-?!"

"We've got her!" I hear two voices announce. The blindfold is removed, and to my chagrin, the twins of Class 1-A are standing in front of me. I glare at them.

"What was that for?" I ask. "Was it really necessary to put a blindfold on me and throw me into a room?" Much to my annoyance, the twins shrug in boredom.

"Rohini-senpai." Tamaki walks up to me. "We want you to become the chef of the Host Club! We tasted your sweets, and they are amazing!"

"Wait, what…" It hit me right then. Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san only came to the restaurant yesterday just to see if I was worth recruiting! I narrow my eyes. "You sent them to my dad's restaurant for that reason?"

"Yes." Kyoya replies. I shake my head.

"No thanks," I reply. "I'm already struggling with a class, and I'm very busy, and to top it all off, I'm helping my dad out in the restaurant to finish paying off the tuition."

"If you work as a chef, we will pay the rest of your tuition fees, and you will be provided with a uniform, which we will also pay for," Kyoya offers. I look at him in shock.

"A-Are you serious?" I ask.

"Yes."

I think for a moment. Come to think of it, I can find a way to get involved here, at Ouran. I nod. "Very well, I accept. However, I will have to leave a few minutes early, so I can help out my dad at the restaurant."

Kyoya nods. "We have a deal."

The twins smile excitedly. "Rohini-senpai! We've even made you a special itamae outfit!" They reveal a mannequin with a white Japanese-style shirt, black pants, and a matching hat. I go and change into the outfit, and put the black apron on, tying it behind me.

I go into the kitchen that just happens to be in the music room and see some ingredients already perfectly set up and ready. I look into a nearby cookbook and see a recipe for a mini red velvet cake. After preheating the oven, I start preparing the cake batter.

"Do you need help?" I turn and see Morinozuka-san in the doorway.

"I guess I need some help for making the buttercream icing," I say. He nods and simply starts preparing the icing.

"You know, you're very good at this," I say. "Have you ever baked before?"

He nods. "Occasionally. I sometimes like to bake some of Mitsukuni's cakes."

"I see." I take the cake out of the oven. "You and Haninozuka-san are very close to each other. Are you, like, childhood friends or something like that?" I ask out of curiosity.

"We're cousins." He replies. "The icing is ready."

I smile as I take the spatula. "I'll finish the rest. You go to your customers. Thanks for the help, Morinozuka-san." I thank.

"Takashi." He says as he walks to the door.

"Pardon?"

He turns with a small smile. "You may just call me Takashi." He tells me as he walks out.

I smile slightly. He's actually very friendly and polite. He's silent most of the time, but he is very kind and polite when he talks. I remove the small cake from the pan and put it on a fancy plate. I take a reasonable amount of icing and spread it on the red cake in a neat manner. I put a small fork on the side before walking out.

"Haninozuka-san! Your cake is ready!" I say as politely as I can. He looks at the cake in awe.

"Ohhh! Red Velvet cake! Thank you, Rohi-chan! You can just call me Mitsukuni, though." he thanks me as he takes a piece of the cake. He puts it in his mouth and smiles brightly.

"Mmm! This tastes amazing! You really are a great cook!" he cheers. I can't help but smile. This kid is very adorable for a seventeen year old!

I look around the club room and see Haruhi talking with his guests. I decide to see if they need anything. "Can I get you anything?" I ask as I approach their table.

"I'm good," Haruhi replies.

"Rohini-senpai, can we have some more tea?" one of the girls asks. I smile.

"Sure thing." I come back with a tea pot and pour the hot tea into her cup.

"Thanks!"

This continues for a while. I occasionally go up to some of the boys and ask if they would like anything to eat or drink, and I ask their customers as well. Overall, it's not too bad, except for the moments when Tamaki would start yelling at the twins for being perverts, or when he goes and sulks in a corner.

That evening, as I help close up the restaurant, I think about today. Today is not too bad, actually. The Host Club isn't such a bad place either. Who knows. I might just grow to like the Host Club. After all, everyone seems rather friendly and good-hearted. Oh well, only time will tell.


	6. Chapter 6

**So sorry for the late update! Well, my final exams are now over, and I'm on summer break! However, I feel sad, because the Japanese girl I've been tutoring is leaving to Japan in a few days. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Our New, Weird Manager**

Today is a 'cosplay' day at the Host Club, and the theme is Japanese, so all the boys wear kimonos, and I wear a dark blue kimono with pink flowers decorating it. In my hair is a pink peony kanzashi, which I have put in my side braid. I'm in the middle of making some tea when I hear the sounds of yelling. As I enter the club room, I see a Japanese girl wearing the female uniform with caramel-coloured hair and a pink ribbon in her hair hugging a surprised Kyoya.

"Kyoya-sama, my fiance!" she cries as if she is greeting an old friend whom she hasn't seen forever.

I raise an eyebrow. "Um… what's going on here?" I ask. "Who is that girl?"

"I'm Houshakuji Renge, and I have transferred into Class 1-A from France," she introduces when she is seated on a sofa.

"This girl is the daughter of a business partner of my father," Kyoya says.

"So she's your fiance?" the twins ask.

RIght then, this girl goes on to describe how Kyoya spends his time caring for poor, homeless animals, and admiring flowers that are unloved. I can't help but look at her in confusion. From what I know about Kyoya, he is hardly the kind of person to admire flowers or care for sick animals. This girl is either delusional, or she is confused with someone else. Tamaki and the twins then call the girl an 'otaku' whatever that means.

"What's an otaku?" I ask.

"An otaku is a Japanese term used on people who are obsessed with something, mainly with manga and anime," Mitsukuni explains.

"But, in Renge's case, she is obsessed with the video game _Uki-Doki Memorial_, a dating simulation game," Hikaru tells me.

"Apparently, Kyoya looks almost like one of the characters in the game, which happens to be her most favourite," Kaoru adds.

"That's it! Starting today, I'm going to be your new manager!" Renge declares.

The next few days are extremely bizarre with Renge. She makes Tamaki cry on a daily basis, cosplays randomly, and tries to change things around in the club. Also, she annoys us to no end with her excessive clinging on to Kyoya, calling him her 'fiance', almost sucking up to him. Now today, she wants us to have a 'dark side'!

She makes Mitsukuni a thug with a cute face, Takashi a 'childhood flunkie' (whatever that means), the twins become basketball players who are shut up in their own world, Haruhi is an honour student who is facing intense bullying, and Tamaki is the academy's idol, but has an inferiority complex, aka 'The Lonely Prince', which he thinks is perfect for him. Unfortunately, she makes me a new girl in a strange land, who can barely speak Japanese, and who is misunderstood because of her minimal knowledge of Japanese, aka 'The New Girl who Can't Speak the Native Language'. As for her 'sweet Kyoya', he is perfect.

"What the-?!" My jaw drops in shock. "A film crew!"

"She brought them in from Hollywood," Kyoya tells me.

I watch through the filming of the twins' scene and Tamaki's scene. Now, it's my turn. I am standing out in the rain, looking desperate, trying to get people to help me, but they refuse because of my poor Japanese. I try and put on my best acting, but by the end, I feel stupid and weird.

"You can't run away now." Mitsukuni says in a threatening voice to Haruhi in their scene. Haruhi looks horrified and shocked as his back hits the tree.

"You're going to be taught a lesson about rising up beyond your standing," Mitsukuni taunts.

"Mitsukuni, don't," Takashi warns. "Every time you hurt someone, you end up being hurt."

"Don't tell me what to do, Takashi. Do you want me to put you over my knee again?"

Eventually, Mitsukuni feels guilty for hurting Haruhi and ends up crying, saying that he can't do this anymore. As filming is paused and Renge talks to the crew, I approach Takashi.

"How was my acting?" I ask. He simply gives me a silent nod.

"Speaking of movies, what kind of movies are your favourite?" I ask.

"Japanese." He replies. "You?"

"I like Tamil movies, Bollywood movies, and a few Japanese movies," I say.

"Bollywood is the kind with all the dancing and singing?" Takashi asks.

I nod. "Yeah, and Tamil movies as well. My most favourite Tamil movies are _Raavanan_ and _Yaavarum Nalam_, and my favourite Bollywood movies are _Talaash_, _Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela_, and _Ghajini_. What are your favourite movies?"

"_Battle Royale_, _13 Assassins_, and _Chakushin Ari_," he says. "Have you seen them?"

"I've only seen _Battle Royale_, and I actually like it a lot better than _The Hunger Games_," I say. "I haven't seen _Chakushin Ari_, though. What's it about?"

"The title means 'One Missed Call'. It's a horror film, but I can't really explain the plot. It's best to watch in the day, so you don't get too scared," he suggests, smiling slightly. I laugh.

"Yeah. I once made the mistake of watching _The Shining _at night during a school break, and I didn't even sleep at all," I recall. "Funny thing is, when I watch a horror movie with friends, I'm not scared that much. When I'm alone and I watch a horror movie, sleep automatically becomes overrated."

He chuckles. "Yeah. I agree."

Suddenly, we hear a loud crash from another part of the courtyard. When we arrive, however, we see Tamaki in front of Haruhi, and Kyoya with a rock on the camera lense.

"No! My camera!" the cameraman cries.

"K-Kyoya-sama?" Renge asks, shocked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow any footage of a Host Club member engaging in violence," he scolds. "I'm very disappointed in you, Renge. Please stop being a pest."

Whoa, that's rough! Renge looks shocked at this and a few tears run down her face. "Kyoya-sama! You're supposed to tell me that everything will be okay, and pat me on the head! Why would someone so kind and sweet as you do this?!" she asks tearfully.

"That's not who Kyoya is," Tamaki says.

Renge looks up in shock and pain before falling to her knees and sobbing her heart out. I feel kind of bad for the poor girl, actually. Reality just hit her really hard when she found out that the boy she was head-over-heels in love with wasn't the same as his video game lookalike. Haruhi gently reassures the girl that getting to know people can be just as fun, telling her that it's on the inside that counts. For some reason, I can see a girlishness in his behaviour.

"Hey, come on in!" Tamaki welcomes the girls several days later.

"I bought the video!"

"Me too!"

"So did I!"

We stare in confusion. "I loved the scene in the rain, it was so beautiful!" one girl gushes.

"The Lonely Prince!"

"The relationship between Hikaru-sama and Kaoru-sama was too much!"

"I wanna see Honey-kun act like a thug again!"

"And Haruhi-kun's poignant expressions!"

"Mori-kun was definitely some kind of masochist, huh?"

_Oh my gosh… _I think, almost feeling a migraine coming from the excessive squealing in the room.

"You okay?" Takashi asks.

"I'm fine, it's just a headache." I respond.

At the end of the Host Club, I'm heading into the backroom to get my bag when I stumble across a shocking sight. I see Haruhi shirtless! However, he-no, she- is wearing a cami underneath! Haruhi is a girl?!

"H-Hey!" Haruhi protests, covering herself up.

"You're… a girl?" I ask. How could I have been so stupid not to know?

She nods. "Yeah. However, I'm here because I broke a vase that cost eight million yen, and I have to pay it off by working as a Host. The rest of the club knows, but no one else in the school knows," she explains. I nod.

"Don't tell anyone, please Rohini-senpai?" she asks.

I give a friendly smile. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," I say.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's Chapter 7. I recommend you watch some of these classical Indian dances on Youtube. They're very nice to watch. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 7- Spiritual Dance and the Way of the Sword**

I let the Bharatanatyam jathi flow through my ears as I move my feet and body to the rhythm of the music. I'm wearing a black tank top and black stretchy pants to allow my movements to be more freer. I'm currently practicing in one of the many abandoned salons in the school. The chants of 'Tha Dhana Dhan Dhana, tha jhonu jhonu dhimi, thaam, thai-tha-tha-thaam' are almost memorized in my head, since it is used in Bharatanatyam jathis.

When the song comes to an end, I bow. Right then, I hear some clapping. I turn and see Takashi in the doorway, to my surprise. "Takashi!" I exclaim. "H-How long have you been watching?" I ask.

"I saw pretty much the whole dance," he replies casually. "It was very good."

For some reason, I feel a warmth in my chest when he praises me. "Th-Thanks," I thank. "It's called Bharatanatyam."

"I see. So, it's a classical Indian dance?" he asks. I nod.

"Yes. It's actually very ancient, since it originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu. It's very well known for grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses," I explain. "The name is actually a recent thing since its revival in the 20th century."

"Interesting," Takashi comments. I take a sip of water before continuing.

"It's a very spiritual dance, since it did originate in temples," I continue. "It is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms, the other seven being Chhau, Gaudiya Nritya, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, Sattriya, and Thang Ta."

"These other dances, do they originate from different parts of India?" he asks. I nod.

"Yes. Chhau originates from Odisha and Jharkhand, Gaudiya Nritya originates from West Bengal, Kathak originates from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Odissi originates from Odisha, Kuchipudi originates from Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri originates from Manipur, Sattriya originates from Assam, Thang Ta originates from Manipur, Mohiniyattam originates from Kerala, and Kathakali also originates from Kerala," I say.

"I love Bharatanatyam. I feel at peace whenever I dance, because of the music and the rhythmic steps that allow me to feel focused and calm. I often do this whenever I feel stressed or tired." I add.

Takashi nods. "I do kendo. Kendo means 'Way of the Sword', and it originates from kenjutsu. We often use shinai, or bamboo swords, and bogu, or protective armour. In a way, it's similar to fencing, but they are very different. Fencing mainly uses thrusts on the upper torso for points, while kendo uses cuts. The cut must land at the same time as a stomping action with the leading foot. Scoring is done by three judges, where two out of three must agree that the cut contained enough 'spirit' and power and appropriate presence to be awarded the point."

I widen my eyes. "That's actually quite a lot of rules," I comment. "So, how long have you been doing kendo for?" I ask.

"I've been doing kendo for quite some time. I'm a national champion in kendo," he replies.

I look up in shock. "Wow! That's great!" I praise.

"How long have you been doing Bharatanatyam for?" Takashi asks.

"Since I was five," I reply. "I learned when I was living in India, both myself and my sister. Now that I'm in Japan, I'm learning from a nice lady in my neighbourhood."

I suddenly realize something. Bharatanatyam and kendo actually have some similarities. Both have spiritual concepts, and both are physically strenuous. Both have ancient origins, and both are very precise and require years of training to become extremely skilled. Both also require a lot of discipline and skill as well. Another thing that I realize. While Takashi can appear very intimidating and silent, he is very kind. Also, when he talks, his voice is so soothing and gentle, not too rough, but not too weak either.

"Well, I should get going now," I say. "My sister is probably waiting for me."

"I'll walk you to the front." We both walk down the hallways once I have changed into my clothes.

"So, Takashi, do you have any siblings?" I ask. He nods.

"I have a younger brother. Morinozuka Satoshi. He's in middle school, and the captain of the middle school kendo club. We get along pretty well," he replies.

I smile. "That's nice. I have an older sister. Suchitra Mitsuki Sundaram. She's an ESL teacher at a public high school in Japan. We get along very well as well. I admire and look up to her, and she gives me advice on how to succeed," I say.

We arrive at the front of the school. I give a polite bow to Takashi. "Well, I'll be going right now. Have a good night!" I say as I walk to Suchitra's car.

That evening, as I'm helping out at the restaurant, I find myself thinking about Takashi and the conversation we had before. _Why is he suddenly appearing in my mind? What's happening? _I think. I've never thought about boys at all before him! I was always told to focus on my studies, so what's happening?

I shake my head, chiding myself for being distracted. I shouldn't be thinking such thoughts! Oh gosh, if Dad finds out, he'll lecture me to death!


	8. Chapter 8

**I highly recommend you listen to 'Ammadi Ammadi' by Shreya Ghoshal. It's a great song. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me. The song 'Ammadi Ammadi' belongs to Shreya Ghoshal and the songwriters.**

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**Chapter 8- History Project Partners!**

"Okay, class," our Japanese History teacher, Matsumoto-sensei, starts. "We're going to be doing a project on the different eras of Japan. I will divide you into partners or groups, and you will be doing a presentation on a certain era of Japan. You have to give an overview of each era and the periods in each era, as well as some facts about culture and traditions and the like, and present it to the class. The eras are Paleolithic Japan, Ancient Japan, Classical Japan, Medieval Japan, the Edo Era, the Empire of Japan, and Postwar Japan." He starts to put us into partners or groups.

"Rohini-san and Takashi-kun, you two will be doing Medieval Japan," he tells us.

Once he has sorted the class into different groups, he gives us some time to plan our projects out. I turn to face Takashi. "So, Takashi, what would you like to do? I was thinking that we do a Prezi on Medieval Japan," I suggest. "What about you?"

He nods. "A Prezi would be good. We can share the Prezi and work on it together at the same time," he says.

We exchange our contact information, and spend the next few minutes planning out our presentation. Soon, the chime sounds, and it's time for lunch. However, we head to the library to work on our presentation. We read through textbooks and use the computers to gather research about Medieval Japan. "Wow, there's a lot about Medieval Japan!" I say. "So, the basics of this is that the medieval or 'feudal' era of Japan was from 1185 to 1573/1600, and this period was dominated by powerful regional families and the military rule of warlords."

As I read about the Sengoku period, I realize something. "Hey, the Sengoku period is the setting of _InuYasha_, right?" I ask. Takashi looks at me in surprise.

"You watch _InuYasha_?" he asks. I nod.

"It was one of the anime that I watched when I was learning how to speak Japanese, specifically when I was learning the different personal pronouns in Japanese," I say. "I learned the differences between 'watashi', 'ore', 'boku', 'atashi', and all that."

"You're correct. _InuYasha _is set in the Sengoku period of Japan. However, we shouldn't use it as a source material, since it is a fictional story, and there's more of a romance story in there," Takashi says. I laugh at that.

"Yeah, I guess." I agree. "Takashi, do you think you could give me a recommendation of Japanese movies to watch?" I ask.

He nods. "Sure. You've already seen _Battle Royale_, but it's still a very good film. I also recommend _13 Assassins_, _Chakushin Ari_, _Seven Samurai_, and _Rashomon_. They are all very well-made and well-acted. Now, what about recommended Indian movies?"

"Well, if you're looking for a real Bollywood movie, then you should watch _Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge_, or even _Om Shanti Om_. If you want a serious movie, then watch either _Kahaani _or _Talaash_." I recommend. "For Tamil movies, I highly recommend _Raavanan_. It's got great acting and amazing visuals, and the story is very good."

"I see." He gets up. "We should get back to class."

As I'm serving one of the guests at the Host Club, I see Tamaki come up to me. "Rohini-senpai?" he asks.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could give me some facts about Indian culture," he says.

"Well, each region in India has its own unique culture and traditions," I start. "It depends. Which part of India do you want to know about?"

He shrugs. "Any part," he says.

"I can send you some websites that talk about the different cultures of each region in India," I say. "Why?"

"Just curious," he replies. I see Mitsukuni walking to another room with Takashi.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"It's Mitsukuni's nap time." Takashi says.

"Ne, Rohi-chan?" Mitsukuni looks at me. "Can you sing me to sleep?"

I'm taken aback for a bit. "Uh, sure," I reply. "What do you want me to sing?" I ask.

"Anything," he tells me.

Once he's tucked into bed, I sit down beside the bed as Takashi leaves. "Okay, Mitsukuni. I'm going to sing you a Tamil song," I say gently.

I start to sing the song 'Ammadi Ammadi' by Shreya Ghoshal, my most favourite Indian singer. "_Ammadi, Ammadinerungeri Oru Tharam Paakava… Aiyodi, Aiyodi, Mayangi Madiyil Nee Pookava…_" I start to sing. "_Yemmadi, Yemmadi, Nee Thodanga Tholainthidava… Izhanthathai Meetkava Oh…. Iravalum Ketkava Oh…_"

I continue to sing the song in a gentle voice until he falls asleep. Once he's asleep, I silently leave the room. "He's asleep now," I say.

"What language was that song in?" the twins ask.

"It's Tamil, which is mainly spoken in South India," I reply. "That's my native tongue."

As we're cleaning up the club room, Takashi approaches me. "You have a beautiful voice, Rohini," he praises. I feel a blush and I look down shyly.

"Thank you," I say.

"I mean it." He tells me. "You sing very gently and sweetly, and the way you pronounce the words is very clear and almost hypnotic."

I feel a strange reaction to his words. My face heats up, and I feel my heartbeat increase. "Well… thank you." I start to walk to the parking lot. What is this strange feeling? Why am I feeling this way? Why is it that whenever I talk to Takashi, I feel this way?


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's a much better chapter 9. I felt so bad for giving such a crappy chapter, that I decided to rewrite it and present a new, longer one. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 9- A Trip to Okinawa**

"Okay, what is all of this for?" I ask in confusion as I am presented with a large amount of swimsuit-clad mannequins.

We are in Kyoya's beach manor in Okinawa, where the Host Club will be staying. However, for an unknown reason, Kyoya has chosen to bring the girls along with us to his family's private beach. Even though I had bought a swimsuit specifically for this trip, the twins are attempting to make me choose a new swimsuit from their mother's collection.

Hikaru smirks. "Well, Rohini-senpai, your current swimsuit is no good," he says in a matter-of-fact tone.

I look down at the swimsuit I'm holding in my hands. Honestly, it's not that bad. It's a simple one-piece black swimsuit with red board shorts. I wanted something that would fit me comfortably, and this fits comfortably.

"What's wrong with the one I have now?" I ask.

Kaoru shakes his head. "You may think it looks good, but sweetie, it's too boring," he says.

"We wanted to give you some variety!" they say at the same time.

I look through the mannequins, when I realize something. "These are all either two-piece, or bikinis!" I exclaim. "No way am I wearing a bikini! It's too scandalous!"

Hikaru laughs. "Well, we found one that works for you!" he says, holding out a mannequin.

The swimsuit is actually pretty stylish. It is a tankini with a dark blue halter top, along with a dark blue boy-short style bottom. Once they leave, I change into an airy sleeveless kurta and pants, and walk out onto the beach, where I see Haruhi sitting on the sand. "Hey, Haruhi," I greet. She smiles at me.

"Hey Rohini-senpai," she greets as I sit down next to her. We look around and see the hosts all entertaining the girls. Tamaki is sitting with a girl on a rock near the shore, the twins are playing a game of volleyball with their two customers, Kyoya is sitting in the shade, writing, and Takashi and Mitsukuni are doing some exercise on the beach.

"This was not what I thought we would be doing when we went to the beach," I say.

"I know, right?" Haruhi agrees. Right then, a thought occurs to me.

"Haruhi, how did you come by the Host Club?" I ask.

She looks down, slightly embarrassed. "You see, I was looking for a place to study, but I accidentally stumbled across the Host Club. Then, I had carelessly knocked over a vase that cost eight million yen, so I'm working here to pay off my debt."

I stare in shock. "Eight million yen?! That's a lot of money! Your own grandchildren will be paying it off!" I exclaim.

"No, I just have to get one hundred customers to request me, and then they'll forgive me of my debt," she adds. I nod in understanding.

"Ano… Haruhi-kun?" We turn and see Haruhi's three customers. "Aren't you going swimming?" one of them asks.

"I prefer to watch the ocean," Haruhi replies.

"Well, can we join you?" another asks.

"How come?" Haruhi asks. "Go ahead and swim. After all, you're all wearing very cute swimsuits."

The girls all look at Haruhi with lovestruck eyes, and I can't help but chuckle. "You really are a natural, hm?"

I get up and decide to walk along the shore. I close my eyes as a gentle, cool breeze blows, and I smell the salt water of the ocean. This beach is somewhat similar to a beach that I used to visit at my dad's sister's place in Trivandrum. Whenever we visited, we would always go to that beach. However, that beach wasn't meant for swimming. We would just stand on the shoreline, while Dad would hold onto me tightly to prevent me from going too close to the waves. _This place isn't too bad either. _

"What do you think so far?" Takashi asks. I turn to face him, and I suddenly feel my heart beating faster. Let me tell you this, Takashi is seriously good-looking without a shirt on. His chest is well-toned with a nice layer of muscle in his body.

"Okinawa is very beautiful," I say. "Now I know why they call it the Hawaii of Japan. Have you ever been here before?"

"Yeah," he replies. He looks at my outfit with questioning eyes. "Why aren't you in a swimsuit?"

"Oh, um… you see, I'm not exactly used to wearing swimsuits in front of people of the other gender," I say lamely. He chuckles.

"Don't worry, I'm not judging," he replies. "By the way, how are you doing with practicing Japanese?"

"It's slowly getting better," I reply.

We walk along the beach for a bit, admiring the view. "So, Takashi, do you have any hobbies?" I ask.

He nods. "I like to practice martial arts and hang out with Mitsukuni," he says. "What about you?"

I blush slightly. "I like to braid hair and cook. When I was younger and I still lived in India, my friends and I would often sit in a large circle and braid each other's hair. It was so much fun," I giggle slightly. He smiles.

"Do you have a favourite book?" he asks.

"I really like Stephen King books," I say. "I also like _Lord of the Rings_, and some of the classics."

"I mainly like Japanese literature, and I also like the classics," he says.

We continue to walk and talk until we notice the sun setting slowly. "Wow, time really passed by," I comment. He nods.

"Let's head back," he says.

That night, at Kyoya's beach house, I am sitting in one of the many guest rooms, watching TV. Right then, I remember something. I had brought some movies to watch while here, so I might as well put one on. I get my bag and dig through the things until I find one. My favourite Tamil movie _Raavanan_. As I put the disc into the DVD player, I suddenly hear Takashi. "What are you doing?" he asks.

I look up. "I'm just going to watch a movie," I say.

"What movie?"

"It's called _Raavanan_. It's a Tamil movie," I say. "It's basically a modern retelling of the Hindu epic _Ramayana _from the villain's point of view. However, the line between good and evil is very much blurred in this movie. It starts out clear in the beginning, but by the end, the line has blurred. It's very serious and kind of sad."

"May I watch?" Takashi asks. "It sounds interesting."

I nod. "Sure. But there are only English subtitles in the movie," I say.

"I can understand English," he says.

He sits by me, as the movie starts. Throughout the film, whenever a song comes up, I find myself softly singing along to the lyrics. I cringe during the intense violence scenes, and hide my eyes from some of those scenes. However, by the end of the movie, I'm in tears. I've seen this movie many times, and it never fails to make me cry.

"Daijoubu?" Takashi asks me. "Are you okay, Rohini?"

I wipe my eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just the ending of the movie. It always gets me," I say through my tears. Takashi nods and gently wraps an arm around me.

"It's just a movie," he says. "I will admit, it is very well-made and well-acted. I also agree, it's very sad at the end."

For some strange reason, I feel my heart flutter slightly, and a comforting warmth when he pulls me close to him. His soft, deep voice is very soothing and gentle as well, which is also very sweet to listen to. Takashi pulls away.

"We should get some sleep now," he says, getting up. "Good night, Rohini."

"Good night, Takashi," I say.

That night, I lie in bed, thinking about the day's events. Takashi is a very interesting person, and I can't help but feel like we have something in common. _What is this feeling? _I wonder for what is probably the hundredth time since I first felt these odd feelings. I sigh and turn over. Only time will tell, I guess.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's Chapter 10. There are some brief mentions about deities and religion, but I hope no one is offended. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 10- A Day at the Temple**

Today is Sunday, which means that I have to go to the local Hindu temple with family today. After I shower, I dry and straighten my hair. I then get changed into a green churidar kameez with long sleeves. I let my hair flow freely down my back as I put a red bindi on my forehead.

"Rohini, are you done with the bathroom?" Suchitra asks. "I have to brush my hair and all."

I walk out. "Bathroom's all yours," I say.

Soon, we are all ready for the temple. The temple we go to is fairly big, but not too big. It's big enough for almost the entire Indian community to come and pray. We always sing bhajans for different Hindu deities, and we listen to a talk about certain Hindu scriptures, and we offer prasad, or sacred food, to the deities. Towards the end, we sing Aarti, which is the offering of lamps to the deities as we sing praises. My family isn't the most religious, but we always go to the temple to pray for luck on exams, on birthdays, and on religious festivals.

As we walk to the family car, I suddenly hear someone call my name. "Oi, Rohini-senpai!"

I turn, and to my surprise, I see the Host Club standing by the apartment complex gates. "Huh? What are you guys doing here?" I ask, surprised.

"We wanted to see where you live. We were bored," the twins say nonchalantly.

"Rohini, do you know them?" Dad asks.

"They're my schoolmates," I say, introducing each member of the Host Club to my family. "Dad, Mom, Suchitra, this is Haruhi Fujioka, Tamaki Suoh, Kyoya Ootori, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, Takashi Morinozuka, and Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin." I say. I turn to the Host Club. "Guys, this is my dad Karthik Sundaram, my mom Asako Sundaram, and my older sister Suchitra Sundaram."

Haruhi looks at my outfit. "Why are you dressed up so nicely? Are you going somewhere?" she asks.

"We're going to the Hindu temple for worship," I say. "It's something we do every Sunday."

The twins suddenly become eager. "Can we come?" Hikaru asks.

"I want to see what a Hindu temple looks like, and how you worship!" Kaoru says.

"Well, a visit to the Hindu temple doesn't sound too bad. It would be interesting to see another culture," Kyoya comments.

"Can they?" I ask my parents. Mom nods her head.

"Sure thing," she replies. "However, there are certain rules that need to be followed when at a Hindu temple. There's a list posted in the main hallway, so read and follow them."

"All right!" Tamaki declares. "We just need the address, and we'll follow behind in our family cars!"

About half an hour later, we arrive at the Hindu temple, which is a half an hour drive outside of the main city area. Once we park, we go inside and remove our shoes in the hallways before entering the main hall. In the main hall, the men sit on one side while the women sit on another side. While Mom, Suchitra, Haruhi and I sit on the women's side, Dad and the rest of the club sit on the men's side.

As one of the women start singing a bhajan, we all join in and sing. I look over and see how the Host Club is doing. All of them have their hands folded in prayer, and are trying to at least mouth the words. However, I can see them struggling a bit with the lyrics, since they are in Sanskrit. Apparently, when my mom was new to India, she had a hard time learning both Tamil and Hindi, because Japanese doesn't have the 'l', 'v', or 'c' pronunciation, and those are kind of common in a lot of Indian languages.

After Aarti, we go to the mess hall to have lunch that is made by the temple staff. "So, how was your first time in a Hindu temple?" I ask.

"It was interesting, for sure," Tamaki says. "The idols that they have are very nice."

"The lyrics of the prayers were very tough!" Hikaru says. "We tried looking in one of those prayer books, but the romanization was pretty hard to follow."

"Yeah, Sanskrit prayers can be hard," I say.

"The food here is very nice," Haruhi says. "Indian food tastes very good."

"So, do you believe in Hinduism?" Takashi asks.

"Yeah, in a way," I reply. "We like to go here every Sunday for the sense of community, but we also pray to God during exams, for birthday wishes, and for marriages and all that. During exams, not only am I praying, but so are my parents and my grandparents!" I say, laughing slightly.

Takashi smiles. Right then, Dad comes up to us. "So, are you the one who's tutoring Rohini in Japanese?" Dad asks. He nods.

"It's nice to meet you," Dad says, holding his hand out. "My name is Karthik, but you can just call me Uncle."

"You may just call me Takashi," Takashi says, folding his hands slightly. "Rohini is getting much better in writing Japanese."

Dad smiles. "That's good. Thanks for helping her out," he says, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "She also told me that you know Hindi pretty well."

"When I was in middle school, I had spent a year at an international school in Kolkata, and I learned how to speak Hindi there," Takashi explains.

"What other parts of India did you visit?" I ask curiously.

"I was mainly in North India, so I had visited Mumbai, New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur," he tells me. I smile.

"You should come to South India," I say. "I'll take you to all the different states in South India. I'll take you to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. We can go on a train through all those states. We'll start from Chennai, and end in Hyderabad."

"Which cities in those states will you show me?" Takashi asks.

"I'll show you Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai, and Trivandrum," I say in a playful tone. He smiles slightly.

"You know, you're kind of cute like this," he says.

I widen my eyes. _Did… Did he just call me… cute? _"Th-Thank you," I stammer, feeling my face heating up.

"Aww, is my little sister getting a crush?" Suchitra teases. I give her a disbelieving look.

"What?! No!" I protest. She winks.

"It's okay, I'm not judging," she says. "I mean, you found yourself a great guy! He's handsome, he's rich, he's practically got it all!"

"Suchitra!" I exclaim. I hastily get up and walk outside so no one will see me blushing.

I walk up to the small pond in front of the temple and sit down next to it. I suddenly see several jasmine flowers floating in the water. Smiling, I pick up the white flowers and hold them close to my nose, the delicate fragrance gently washing over me. "Rohini?"

I look and see Takashi standing in front of me. "Hi Takashi," I greet, smiling serenely. He looks at the flowers in my hands.

"Are those jasmine flowers?" he asks. I nod.

"Yes. Have you ever smelt their fragrance? It's one of the most amazing things ever," I say. He takes one of the blooms and gently smells it.

"Smells nice," he says. He gently places the flower behind my right ear as he sits next to me. "You like these flowers?"

I nod. "I love jasmine flowers. I often loved to put them in my hair during special occasions, and I even place jasmine flowers in my room so it smells nice. To me, it's a very calming fragrance, very gentle. It brings back memories."

He smiles at that. "I like iris flowers, especially white irises," he says. "The scent is very relaxing for me, and it calms me down, especially after a tedious kendo practice."

He gently touches my hair, running his fingers through it. "Your hair is so soft and healthy. It's almost like silk," he says. "How do you make it so soft and manage to maintain it?"

I look down, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sometimes, I rub coconut oil in my hair, and after a while, I wash it all off in the shower. The result is soft and silky hair," I reply. "I also sometimes like to use jasmine or sage oil."

"I see," he says. Takashi looks at me. "Rohini, you look very beautiful, you know?"

I feel my face heating up once again. "R-Really?" I ask.

Takashi smiles. "You have a very traditional, South Indian beauty. However, it's not just your beauty that makes you beautiful, but it's your character. You're very strong-willed and determined, but you have moments when you're shy, and you're very caring. You treat Mitsukuni as if he's your younger brother, and you are very level-headed."

I smile at him. "Thank you," I say humbly. I look at him. "You know how I said that I will show you around South India?" I ask.

"Yeah?" he asks. I look down shyly.

"Well, one day, can you show me around Japan?" I ask. He smiles.

"Sure. I'll show you all the major cities," he assures me. "I'll show you around Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Nagano, and all those places. We can go on bullet train to all these places."

I smile. "That would be nice. I look forward to it," I say.

"Rohini!" I look up and see Mom calling me. "It's time to go now!"

"Okay!" I call back. I turn to Takashi. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nods. "Sure. See you."

That evening, I can't help but think about the conversation I had with Takashi at the temple. Day by day, I'm finding myself growing closer to him, and we have been on good terms. He's willing to show and teach me about Japanese culture, and he seems interested in Indian culture. He's a very intelligent person, and I enjoy having conversations with him, because he's a good person to talk to. I look forward to more conversations with him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for taking so long! I had some writer's block, but now I've managed to write this chapter! It took some research about the Tanabata festival, but here it is! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me.**

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**Chapter 11- Tanabata with Takashi**

Today is July 7th, a special day in Japanese culture. I'm walking down the streets, wearing a pink yukata with jasmine blossom decorations with a pink obi, tied in a ribbon at the back. My long black hair is tied in a side braid, and a small jasmine kanzashi is pinned in the braid. Throughout the streets of Tokyo, I see various bamboo branches with strips of coloured paper hanging from shrine walls and shopping malls and I see carnival game stands, street food, and lots of celebrations happening in the streets.

What kind of day is it today? Well, today is a Japanese festival known as Tanabata, which is known as the star festival. People write wishes on coloured strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches. It's a big celebration today, and in a way, this reminds me of the Hindu festival of Diwali. However, I hear that the real beauty of the festival comes at night, when many lanterns are lit and are sent down the river.

"Hey, Rohini!" I see Neha waving at me. She's wearing a red yukata with a green obi and pink lotus patterns. I wave back at her.

"Neha!" I walk up to her. "I haven't seen you in some time!"

"Yeah. How's your very first Tanabata?" she asks.

"It's pretty fun so far," I say. "Everyone's in a really good mood right now, and I can feel the festive atmosphere."

"Kind of like Holi, without the coloured powder," she jokes.

As we walk through the streets, we talk about our lives and what's going on so far. "So, Rohini, have you told your parents about your real ambition yet?"

I shake my head. "No, not yet. I hope I can tell them and they won't get too mad," I say. "Then again, they say that they'll support me no matter what."

She pats my shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," she reassures me. "Anyways, what's Ouran Academy like?"

I chuckle. "It can easily be mistaken for a European palace. Practically all the students are the children of some CEO, celebrity, politician, or business magnate, and some of them are even from places like France! Although, there's one student who constantly wears black robes, and once, when I tried to remove his hood because I thought he would be uncomfortable, he shrieked about how he was afraid of the light and all that."

"Have you met any boys yet?" she asks teasingly.

I roll my eyes. "Well, there's a boy who's tutoring me in Japanese named Morinozuka Takashi, and he's in my class," I say. "He's very friendly and he speaks Hindi fluently, because he had spent a year at a school in Kolkata. He can be very quiet, but when he talks, he has the most soothing voice ever."

"You like him…" she teases.

"Wha-no!" I protest, feeling my cheeks heating up. "I like his company, that's all!"

Neha laughs. "Don't worry, I'm not judging," she says, giggling.

As we continue walking, I suddenly see Takashi and Mitsukuni at a carnival stand. Takashi is wearing a dark blue yukata, and Mitsukuni is wearing a green yukata. Suddenly, Mitsukuni sees me and runs over to me. "Rohi-chan!" he cheers, tackle-hugging me.

I chuckle. "H-Hey, Mitsukuni," I say, ruffling his hair a bit. "What brings you here?"

"Today's Tanabata, so we wanted to see how commoners celebrated it!" he tells me.

I stand up and see Takashi in front of me, giving me a friendly smile. "Hey Rohini," he greets. I smile.

"Hey… Takashi," I greet. I look at Neha. "Neha, this is the guy I was telling you about. This is Takashi and his cousin Mitsukuni. Takashi, Mitsukuni, this is Neha, one of my friends."

Neha gives a slight bow. "Nice to meet you," she says.

The four of us walk through the streets together, talking about what we're planning on doing after high school. Right then, I make a decision. "Tonight, I'm going to tell my parents about what I really want to do," I say. "I've already been praying for luck, but I'm going to tell them tonight after the festival."

Takashi nods. "I'm going to be attending Ouran University," he tells me. "However, I plan on being a professional kendo athlete."

"I'm also attending Ouran University!" Mitsukuni tells me. "I also plan on being a professional judo artist."

"I'm currently attending the University of Tokyo," Neha says. "I'm studying anthropology, but I'm also minoring in medical sciences."

I laugh. "I'm just glad that my parents aren't like the typical Indian parents who are all like 'You're going to be a doctor or engineer, no other choice!'"

Neha laughs. "Yeah, I know," she agrees. "Well, I have to go back, since I have to take care of a friend's kids. See you, and it was nice meeting you!" she says, waving to us.

Takashi looks at me. "That yukata looks cute on you," he compliments.

I blush softly. "Th-Thanks," I say. "Your yukata looks nice on you, too."

"Thanks." He suddenly takes my hand. "Let's look around more."

The three of us head over to a carnival stand in which we have to knock down bottles to win a prize. Takashi offers to go first. He knocks down all the bottles without much effort. "So, which one do you want?" the man asks.

Takashi chooses a fairly big Hello Kitty plush toy in a kimono and hands it to me. I step up. "I'll go next." I knock down only half the bottles, and I have to choose one of the smaller toys. I choose a plush panda bear, which I shyly hand over to Takashi. "Here you go. Because you gave me a Hello Kitty, I'm giving you a panda," I say shyly.

He takes it, smiling at me. "So, what do you think of your new Hello Kitty?" he asks.

"I like it," I say. Suddenly, Mitsukuni draws our attention to a stand that's selling ice cream.

"Ice cream! Come on! Let's go get some!" he says cheerfully.

For almost the entire day, we go around and participate in the celebrations, and try out different foods. Throughout, I feel a warm, happy sensation when I'm near Takashi, just like what I felt when he won me a Hello Kitty plush toy. Now, we are sitting by a river, waiting to light our lanterns and send them floating down the river. Mitsukuni has fallen asleep, so he is resting on Takashi's side. I look at him. "Tell me, Takashi. Is there like, a story behind Tanabata festival?" I ask.

He nods. "The story is a love story. There was a princess named Orihime, who was the daughter of Tentei the Sky King. She wove the cloth of the Amanogawa River, which is the Milky Way. Her father loved the cloth Orihime wove, but she was sad because she wanted to fall in love, but she couldn't because she could only weave. So, Tentei arranged for his daughter to meet Hikoboshi, who is a cow herder who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa River. Orihime and Hikoboshi fell madly in love immediately and got married."

I smile. "Wow, a love at first sight thing?" I ask.

"There's more," he continues. "Once they were married, Orihime and Hikoboshi neglected their duties because they spent too much time with each other and forgot all about their jobs. Tentei was very angered at this, so he separated them by placing them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River. Orihime was very upset, and she begged and cried to her father, asking him to allow the two to meet each other was moved by the tears of his daughter, so he allowed them to meet on the 7th day of the 7th month each year. That's where Tanabata gets its name, since it means 'the night of the seventh'."

I can't help but giggle. "For some reason, it reminds me of a Bollywood movie," I say. "A rich girl meets a poor boy, and at first it's not the best meeting, but shortly after, they fall in love, and the parents get involved and separate the lovers," I giggle. "However, sometimes the parents let them be together in the end, but other times, they both die."

Takashi wordlessly moves a strand of hair away from my face, smiling slightly. "You look beautiful right now," he tells me softly.

I smile at him. "You're a good person to be with, Takashi," I tell him. "You're very kind and gentle, and you treat people with respect and courtesy." I move closer to him. "May I rest my head on your shoulder?" I ask.

He nods. "Go ahead," he says.

I close my eyes softly and rest my head against his shoulder. He has a nice, calming aroma to him. He has a rather pine-like fragrance, and I can also detect a hint of sage. It's a very comforting, relaxing aroma, and I feel kind of safe and protected next to him. He pulls me closer, and I hear him whisper to me, "You have a nice scent."

I feel my face heating up. "R-Really?" I ask. He nods.

"You smell like fresh spices and jasmine flowers," he tells me. "I can almost detect cardamom, jaggery, and turmeric. It's very… Indian, and I like it."

I blush right then, and I'm grateful that it's dark. He slowly gets up. "It's almost time," he says. "Let's go light our lanterns."

We light our lanterns as we stand by the river. Soon, we send them all out into the river. "Wow," I whisper. The sight is truly beautiful. No wonder people love this celebration. The sight of hundreds of lanterns on the river is very amazing and a real beauty. I smile as I turn to Takashi. "Thanks. Thanks for being here on my first Tanabata festival," I thank him.

He smiles at me. "You're welcome," he says.

Soon, we start to leave the river, and Takashi offers to walk me back home. Even though I try and politely turn down the offer, he still insists, so he walks me back home. Before I walk inside, I turn to him. "Thanks again, Takashi." Before I even realize, I give him a small kiss on the cheek. "Good night."

I see his cheeks flush a bit, and I giggle slightly. He smiles at me. "Good night, Rohini. And good luck in telling your parents."

I walk back inside, feeling my heart fluttering. Today's been a great day. Now, I'm going to tell them. I see them in the main room, and I walk in. "Hey Mom. Hey Dad," I say.

Mom looks up. "Hey sweetie," she greets. "How was the Tanabata festival?" she asks.

"It was so much fun!" I say. "Listen, I have something I want to tell you."

I sit down in front of them. "Look, I know I've said that I want to be a computer software engineer, but I actually don't want to," I begin. "I want to open up my own chain of restaurants, because I love cooking, and I want to go into cooking school and learn business management. I'm so sorry for not telling you this earlier," I say.

Dad looks at me. "Why are you worried about upsetting us? We've always told you this, Rohini. No matter what course you take, we'll still love you and support you. In fact, I think you're perfect to run a business. You have the skills," he tells me. "Now, all we have to do is do some research on which universities have business management courses, and which culinary arts school you can go into."

I smile. Looks like things really did work out after all.


End file.
